Here are links to the first four installments of the series in case you missed them:

Tech Tip 84 - How to Build a Computer
Part 1: Choosing the Basic Computer Components

Tech Tip 85 - How to Build a Computer
Part 2: Choosing the Hard Drive, RAM & Motherboard

Tech Tip 86 - How to Build a Computer
Part 3: Choosing the CPU & Heat Sink Fan

Tech Tip 88 - How to Build a Computer
Part 4: Choosing the Hard and Floppy Drive Cables, CD/DVD Drive Cable and Graphics Card

• Chassis/case
• Power supply
• CD drives
• DVD drives
• Floppy Drive*
• Hard Drive(s)
• RAM (random access memory)
• Motherboard
• CPU (central processing unit)
• CPU heat sink/fan
• Thermal paste
• Hard drive cable
• Floppy drive cable*
• CD/DVD drive cable
• Graphics card*
(optional if your motherboard has onboard graphics)
• Sound card* (optional if your motherboard has onboard sound)
• Display/Monitor
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Speakers*

Computer Monitor

Choosing the monitor for your new computer is one of the more personal choices when it comes to selecting components for your computer system. Depending on how you will be using your computer, you will want to choose a monitor that tailors to those uses. If you are a graphic designer and absolutely need to have colors on the screen that look exactly like what you get on paper when it is printed, you should shop for a high-end graphic design display, such as the Eizo CE240W or an Apple Cinema Display.

If the main use for your system is going to be PC gaming, you may want a display with the lowest possible response time to help ensure your images will not be blurred during game play, and that you will not experience a phenomenon known as ghosting. Ghosting is when images on LCDs change too quickly for the LCD to completely redraw the next image. The resulting image that is similar to what you would see on a TV that is using an antenna and picking up more than one station on the same frequency. Again, what you are looking for is the fastest pixel response time your budget will allow.

For some uses, you may want a CRT display rather than LCD. For instance, for video editing and other tasks that require extreme high resolutions, CRTs are often the better choice. Just be sure when you are choosing your display that you consider what you’ll be doing with your system, and buy the highest quality display you can fit into your budget.

Keyboard

The keyboard is another computer peripheral that at first glance seems quite uncomplicated. However, the keyboard is one of the most overlooked places that you can gain productivity and increase gaming fun. For gamers, there are number of gaming specific keyboards on the market, such as the Wolf King Warrior USB Ultimate FPS Gaming Pad which is very well laid out for first person games. The Logitech G15 has a traditional keyboard layout that would work as well.

If your tastes don’t lean towards gaming, you can still get a keyboard that will help increase your productivity and comfort. There are a large number of keyboards designed to both reduce the strain on your arms and wrists, and help you control different types of media on your computer such as MP3s and video.

Users going for the cleanest desktop they can get will want to go wireless. However, I don’t recommend wireless mice and keyboards for gaming due to possible response latency. At the end of the day, the choice really comes down to your preference and your computing style.

Mouse

Much like keyboards, the mouse is another component where gamers can improve their game play. There are many special-purpose gaming mice on the market such as the Razer line of mice, as well as a variety of mice from Logitech, such as the G5 and G7. When choosing a mouse, gamers should keep an eye on the optical resolution of the mouse and the type of mouse (i.e. laser or optical). There are still some ball mice on the market, even though that technology is quickly becoming archaic. The vast majority of newer mice will be either optical or laser. Laser mice tend to be more sensitive, more cutting-edge and more expensive, while optical mice tend to be cheaper and less sensitive.

Even if you’re not a gamer, you will still want to pay attention to the mouse you choose. You’d be surprised at the productivity you can lose if you choose a poorly designed mouse. I have found over the years that a mouse with extra programmable buttons that control Web browsing forward and backwards is a big timesaver, not to mention a scroll button for quickly scrolling up and down a page.

Speakers

PC speakers are an optional component of your computer system. If you’re not interested in hearing sounds and music from your computer, you can simply skip this component all-together. However, for the gamers, music fans and video buffs out there, the speakers you choose are one of the components that can make or break the immersion you get while doing what you do. Ideally, you will want a set of 5.1 surround sound speakers. However, if your budget is limited, then any set of speakers will allow you to hear the sound output from your favorite game or program. Just remember that with speakers especially, you really get what you pay for.

This week, we are continuing our series on how to build a computer with choosing the best components for your custom computer system. So far in the series, we have covered the components shown in italics below. Today, we will cover the cables and cards shown in bold.

Here are links to the first three installments of the series in case you missed them:

Tech Tip 84 - How to Build a Computer
Part 1: Choosing the Basic Computer Components

Tech Tip 85 - How to Build a Computer
Part 2: Choosing the Hard Drive, RAM & Motherboard

Tech Tip 86 - How to Build a Computer
Part 3: Choosing the CPU & Heat Sink Fan

• Chassis/case
• Power supply
• CD drives
• DVD drives
• Floppy Drive*
• Hard Drive(s)
• RAM (random access memory)
• Motherboard
• CPU (central processing unit)
• CPU heat sink/fan
• Thermal paste
• Hard drive cable
• Floppy drive cable*
• CD/DVD drive cable
• Video card (graphics card)*
(optional if your motherboard has onboard graphics)
• Sound card* (optional if your motherboard has onboard sound)
• Monitor (display)
• Input – Keyboard/Mouse
• Speakers*
• Operating system software

Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Cable

If you bought a new motherboard for your project, it likely came with a hard drive cable. The cables for the HDD and the compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD) drive look very similar. However, the cable for the HDD has more wires in it than optical drive cables. One glance at the two and you will see the difference. If you are using SATA (serial ATA: advanced technology attachment) drives, the cable will be a little different as well. Most retail-boxed hard drives will ship with a SATA cable. If your motherboard has SATA ports, it probably came with cables you can use rather than having to purchase new ones.

When using Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) hard drives, you can use rounded cables over the older ribbon-style cables. The rounded cables look much better, which is important in windowed cases, and helps cool by not restricting air flow as much. You can typically get both rounded and ribbon cables that will connect two drives per cable. I also want to mention that it is important to keep your hard drive on a separate IDE channel than your optical drive, and make your faster hard drive the master drive. This will help to ensure you get the fastest speed from your drives.

Floppy Drive Cable

If you choose not to use a floppy drive in your system, you obviously will not need a floppy drive cable. However, if you are using a floppy drive, you want to be sure that you use the correct cable and install it correctly. Unlike IDE drives and SATA cables, floppy disk drive (FDD) cables are not keyed. This means that you can easily install the cable incorrectly and ruin any floppy disk you try to boot from. Funny thing is that it’s possible to not realize that a floppy cable is installed incorrectly, making you wonder why you are unable to read floppies created by that computer in any other computer and vise-versa. It could leave you puzzled for days!

Much like the HDD cables, floppy cables are available in both ribbon style and rounded cables. Again, the rounded cables tend to be better from a cooling standpoint as they help promote better airflow. However, both rounded and ribbon-style cables will perform the same in practical use.

CD/DVD Drive Cable

This cable is required for your system if you intend to use a CD/DVD drive on your computer. Again, you can get both rounded and ribbon-style CD/DVD drive cables. A few manufacturers also offer SATA optical drives now. The type of cable you choose will depend on the type of drives you purchase and your cable preference. Most cables will support two optical drives.

Video Cards

This is the component most gamers spend the most on along side their CPU. Your video, or graphics, card will have a huge effect on how well your computer performs in games. The video card is optional on some boards. However, it is only optional on motherboards that have on-board graphics.

The vast majority of high performance motherboards will not have on-board graphics and you will still on occasion come across older motherboards that may need an accelerated graphics port (AGP) card. However, if you are buying a new CPU and motherboard, you will likely be looking to buy a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Express video card. Be sure that you buy the correct graphics card interface to match the interface on your motherboard and you will be fine.

There is a huge variance in the price of video cards on the market. For instance if you opt for a maxed out quad scalable link interface (SLI) system with dual Nvidia 7950 GX2 graphics cards, you will easily spend over $1,000.00 on video cards alone. If you go with something along the lines of an ATI X1300 Pro, you are looking at under $100.00. If you are a gamer, the video card is where you will want to spend your extra cash.

Sound Cards

Sound cards are optional in this day when the vast majority of motherboards come with on-board sound, however, there is a lot to be said for some of the aftermarket sound cards. For example, if you want to run 5.1 or 7.1 Dolby sound, odds are you will need an aftermarket card. Hardcore gamers will likely want to look at something like the Creative X-Fi series, as the difference in sound quality with the X-Fi series is impressive. However, if you are on a budget, you can save your cash if your board has built-in sound.

This week, we will pick up our series on how to build a computer where we left off and talk about the CPU (Central Processing Unit). So far in this series, we have covered choosing your case, power supply, CD drive, and floppy drive in Part One. Last week in Part Two, we went over choosing the hard drive, RAM, and motherboard.

This article on the CPU and CPU heat sink covers some of the most important parts of your computer. As always, the items covered in this article will be denoted in bold print in our list below. Components covered in previous articles will be denoted in italics and asterisks denote optional components.

• Chassis/case
• Power supply
• CD drives
• DVD drives
• Floppy Drive*
• Hard Drive(s)
• RAM (random access memory)
• Motherboard
• CPU (central processing unit)
• CPU heat sink/fan
• Thermal paste
• Hard drive cable
• Floppy drive cable*
• CD/DVD drive cable
• Video card (graphics card)*
(optional if your motherboard has onboard graphics)
• Sound card* (optional if your motherboard has onboard sound)
• Monitor (display)
• Input – Keyboard/Mouse
• Speakers*
• Operating system software

CPU

Like motherboards, there are a number of different CPUs on the market. Choosing which CPU you buy depends on what you want to do with your computer and the size of your budget. High-end CPUs like the new AMD FX-62 can run you about $1,000.00. On the other end of the AMD spectrum, you can get an AMD Sempron CPU, such as this one from Geeks.com for under $90.00.

What’s the difference? Mostly, the difference is in the speed of the processor and the number of cores the CPU chip has. A dual core processor, like the AMD FX-62 has two physical processors, or cores, inside the one chip. Two cores allows the processor to do more work and run more tasks simultaneously without making your computer run sluggishly. On the other hand, a single core processor has only one core and can’t do as much work at once.

Do you need dual cores? It depends on what you will do. Gamers should go with dual cores if possible. A substantial number of developers are working on bringing multi-threaded applications and games to market. Soon, dual core processors will have a much greater advantage over single-core or traditional processors than they do today. For example, one of the patches for the game Quake 4 enables support for multi-core processors and you get much better performance.

Dual core processors benefit more users than just gamers. If you are into digital video editing or music creation on your PC, a dual core processor can help you work faster and more efficiently. On the other hand, if you only use your computer for browsing the Web, email, and the occasional word processing document, a dual core CPU may be overkill.

Intel also makes some fantastic dual core and single core processors. Both brands of processor will do the same job and both manufacturers have equivalent products. I suggest that you buy your preferred brand or compare specifications from independent reviews online, such as this one. The CPU is one of the parts you will want to spend extra cash on because it will help your system run faster and more efficiently, extending the time between upgrades. Until we get to graphics cards, assuming you have adequate RAM, the CPU is where you will see the most performance gains from your finished system.

When choosing either brand of CPU, you absolutely must keep in mind the socket type and match the CPU socket to the motherboard socket. The sockets do not interchange between manufacturers, and just because the pin pattern on the bottom of your CPU looks similar to the socket on your motherboard DOES NOT mean they are compatible. The CPU manufacturer will have the required socket clearly labeled, just as the motherboard manufacturer will have the socket on the motherboard labeled. Simply match them up for compatibility. Often, the easiest thing to do is to purchase a motherboard/CPU combo to rule out errors at this point.

CPU Heatsink/Fan

This is an absolutely essential component of the computer. You CANNOT start your computer up without having a CPU heatsink and fan combo installed correctly. Running your computer for even a few seconds without the heatsink and fan installed can ruin your CPU due to overheating. We will go over the correct installation procedure for the CPU heatsink/fan combo in a later issue of this series.

Just like the CPU and the motherboard, the CPU heatsink/fan combo is specific to a socket type due to the required retention system. Each socket tends to have a completely different retention system, therefore requires a different heatsink. Some do interchange, but not all. Be sure to check compatibility before you buy and install your heatsink.

Many boxed retail CPU sets include the compatible heatsink and fan. However, if you buy a bulk OEM CPU, you will need to purchase the appropriate heatsink for the CPU. There are many manufacturers of heatsinks, and every one makes them a bit differently. The one thing they have in common will be the correct retention mechanism for the specified socket type.

How the heatsink/fan combo looks is irrelevant. What is important is that it fits in the case you bought. Typically, the larger the heatsink and fan, the cooler your CPU will run. Often, the cooler your CPU runs, the longer it will last and the more performance you can get out of your system. It is important to note here that advanced users and overclockers may decide to choose liquid cooling or the more exotic phase-change cooling rather than a simpler, but less effective heatsink and fan combo. Liquid cooling and phase change cooling are beyond the scope of this series, but if there are enough requests for it, we may do a Tech Tip on the subject of exotic or out-of-the ordinary cooling systems available.

Thermal Paste

Thermal paste is also known as thermal (transfer) compound or thermal grease. There are many different brands of thermal paste on the market. If you buy a boxed CPU retail or a new heatsink/fan combo, chances are that it will come with a pad of thermal paste of some sort already applied.

Most likely, the paste pre-applied to the heatsinks will be fine for your needs. However, many PC enthusiasts go for a higher quality thermal paste such as Artic Silver. The main point here is that thermal paste of some sort is not optional. You absolutely must apply thermal paste to your CPU or risk destroying it the first time you try to boot up your new computer. Check with the manufacturer for instructions for applying the thermal paste.

We began our series on how to build a computer last week when we covered choosing the case, power supply, CD/DVD drives, and floppy drive. This week, we will continue by looking at how to select a motherboard, hard drive, and memory (RAM) for your computer system. The information provided here is of a basic nature for those new to computer building and selecting components. The hardware on the component list below in italics was covered in a previous installment of this series. Today, we will be covering the hardware in bold. Asterisks denote optional components.

• Chassis/case
• Power supply
• CD drives
• DVD drives
• Floppy Drive*
• Hard Drive(s)
• RAM (random access memory)
• Motherboard
• CPU (central processing unit)
• CPU heat sink/fan
• Thermal paste
• Hard drive cable
• Floppy drive cable*
• CD/DVD drive cable
• Video card (graphics card)*
(optional if your motherboard has onboard graphics)
• Sound card* (optional if your motherboard has onboard sound)
• Monitor (display)
• Input – Keyboard/Mouse
• Speakers*
• Operating system software

Hard Drive

There are a number of different hard drive manufacturers and hard drive types in a wide price range, but basically internal hard drives are available in two internal styles: IDE and SATA. SATA drives are newer, offer improved performance over IDE drives with regards to bandwidth and data transfer speeds, and use thinner serial cables versus the bulkier ribbon cables used by IDE drives. However, IDE drives are still available and every motherboard still has the required IDE headers (connectors) on them. The same can’t be said for SATA drives; some of the older motherboards around don’t have SATA ports on them. SATA drives also come in two speeds: SATA 3.0 GB/s and the standard (150 mb/second) SATA ports. You will want to check compatibility with your motherboard before you purchase your hard drive.

The capacity of the hard drive you buy is really a matter of personal choice. Currently, the largest capacity you can get on an internal single hard drive is 750GB. Obviously, the larger the capacity, the more the drive costs. I recommend you get the largest drive your budget can absorb.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Much like hard drives, there are many choices available for RAM, depending on the manufacturer and speed of the product. You need to be sure that you are buying the appropriate RAM for your system. Some motherboards will accept DDR2 and some will only accept original DDR. All AMD motherboards accept only DDR memory, except the newest socket AM2 systems. Most all Intel systems that are currently on the market use DDR2, as do the new AMD AM2 platforms.

RAM [check out this Tech Tip on memory] is typically specified by both a gigahertz (GHz) speed as well as latency, such as OCZ PC5300 333MHz. If you are searching for gaming RAM, you will want to keep an eye on the latency of the RAM. Generic modules of RAM will likely not list the latencies, while high performance and gaming RAM will certainly list them. The lower the latency numbers, the better the performance you can expect from your modules.

Some systems, such as the AMD socket AM2 systems, benefit more from lower latencies than they do from higher clock speeds. You will want to do some research to determine what is better for your system: high memory speeds or lower latencies. Obviously, the best of both worlds would be RAM with both high clock speeds and low latencies.

The amount of RAM depends on both your budget, as well as what you intend the system to be used for when it’s completed. If you are going to build a gaming computer system, I strongly recommend a minimum of 2GB of RAM. The way games are trending, 2GB of RAM is swiftly becoming the norm for high-end titles to perform at their best. Currently, I see no need for more than 2GB of RAM in standard gaming systems. RAM can be one of the most expensive components of your system. For a basic Windows XP system intended for simple web browsing, word processing, and maybe some simple games (ie., Solitaire), 1GB of RAM should be adequate.

Motherboard

One of the most difficult hardware choices for someone building their first system is the motherboard [check out this Tech Tip on motherboard basics]. Because the motherboard is the heart of the computer, it is critical that the motherboard and the CPU (Central Processing Unit) you purchase are compatible. To determine compatibility, look for the processor socket type - all CPUs will list their socket type in the description. As an example, the processor in my system is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ socket AM2. To buy a motherboard for this CPU, you simply look for one that has the socket AM2 built-in. The same goes for Intel processors - just get a motherboard that has the correct socket. There are several socket types currently in use by both AMD and Intel, so be sure to check compatibility with the motherboard before you buy either the motherboard or the CPU or you can buy a motherboard/processor combo such as this one.

You want to be sure that you choose the correct features for your desired system based on anticipated use. For instance, if you are building a moderate to low performance system for general computer work, look for a motherboard with on-board graphics. This will save you some money and time over buying and installing a separate graphics card. If you are building a high-end gaming system, stay away from any motherboard that has on-board graphics. Instead, look for a motherboard that has one or two PCI Express slots for high-end graphics cards. You can also still occasionally find motherboards that use AGP over PCI-E. There are very few high-performance AGP graphics cards left on the market; gamers should go for PCI-E motherboards.

Gamers should also consider whether to run dual graphics cards with either nVidia SLI or ATi Crossfire setups. To be able to run either dual card method, you will need an appropriate motherboard with the correct chipset. If a motherboard is SLI or Crossfire capable, it will be listed. If you think at some future date you might want to use dual graphics cards, buy the motherboard now that supports your preferred vendor. That way, you can run either SLI and Crossfire graphic boards in a single card configuration and have an upgrade path for the future without having to buy a new motherboard.

If you intend to run multiple hard drives in a RAID array, you will also want to be sure that the motherboard you choose supports that function. However, if you find the perfect motherboard that lacks RAID functionality, you can buy good, inexpensive add-in RAID cards. That said, most current motherboards offer RAID functionality of some sort. For more information on RAID, check out this Tech Tip on RAID.

Building your own personal computer (PC) can seem overwhelming at first. There are so many components that go into building a PC that just learning what you need to buy can be very confusing. As a result, many first-time builders sometimes overlook buying some parts. This Tech Tip will cover how to select your components, and how to ensure that your components are compatible and will work together. We will start by making a list of the basic components you need for an average gaming or general use PC; you can then refer back to this basic list throughout the series. With this Tech Tip, we will be covering the basics of choosing the items in bold below. Optional components are marked with an asterisk *:

• Chassis/case
• Power supply
• CD drives
• DVD drives
• Floppy Drive*
• Hard Drive(s)
• RAM (random access memory)
• Motherboard
• CPU (central processing unit)
• CPU heat sink/fan
• Thermal paste
• Hard drive cable
• Floppy drive cable*
• CD/DVD drive cable
• Video card (graphics card)*
(optional if your motherboard has onboard graphics)
• Sound card* (optional if your motherboard has onboard sound)
• Monitor (display)
• Input – Keyboard/Mouse
• Speakers*
• Operating system software

Choosing Your Computer Case or Chassis

Choosing your computer case seems pretty straight forward, and it is. There are a few different form factors (the physical size and shape of a device) around that you need to be aware of when case shopping. The first is the newer BTX (Balanced Technology Extended) format cases. While they are not as common, it is important to point out that almost all motherboards are ATX and they will not fit inside a BTX case.

The same goes for the small form factor cases that are designed to sit on a desktop. A simple rule of thumb is if the case is smaller that your motherboard, don’t buy it! The vast majority of cases you will find are ATX compatible. ATX has a few different variants basically having to do with the size of the motherboard.

Most all computer case retail boxes will list the type of motherboards it is compatible with right on the computer case packaging. If you are shopping and buying online, the website will certainly list the motherboard compatibility. Be sure the case matches up with your chosen motherboard form factor and you will be fine.

Choosing Your Power Supply

Power supply units (PSU) are one of the main components of your computer that many people put little thought into. It would be a wise move to not simply buy the cheapest PSU you can find. A bad PSU with unstable and fluctuating power output can cause all sorts of problems with your computer, such as damaged components due to a power surge, to crashes and reboots due to power levels falling too low that can wreak havoc on your patience. Because computer components put increasing demands on the case power supply, manufacturers are working to bring more powerful and efficient power supplies to the consumer that feature the new ATX12V 2.2/ EPS12V power supply standard, which you can find in power supplies such as the Antec NeoHE 500-Watt 24-pin Power Supply.

PSUs that are included with computer cases are notorious for being cheaply made. The PSU is one component where you certainly get what you pay for. While you don’t necessarily have to buy a $500.00 Pc Power & Cooling unit, a few extra dollars are wisely invested in a unit such as the ASYS 650-Watt Dual Fan ATX Power Supply. Geeks.com has a great selection of power supplies that are kind to your budget.

If you are a hardcore gamer looking to get into SLI (NVidia Scalable Link Interface) or Crossfire (ATI Technology) setups, you will want to buy a PSU that has two PCI-E power connectors and is SLI-ready if you’re going the SLI route. Ensure that it has enough Wattage to power two of your cards as well as the other components inside your system. For more information on power requirements of SLI, check out Nvidia’s SLI Zone. For more information on ATI Crossfire gaming, check out the ATI site.

Choosing Compact Disk/Digital Video Drives

Choosing a CD/DVD drive is a bit easier than choosing some of the other main components of your computer system. Short of the speed at which the drives can burn disks, most drives are similar. There are some DVD/CD drives out that use SATA ports like a newer hard drive rather than the IDE channels from your motherboard. You can choose either style, so long as your motherboard supports SATA. You can even go with an external drive if you so desire.

Most drives you find will be the standard IDE type. DVD burners are quickly becoming the drive of choice for computers. The newer dual-layer DVD drives will allow you to store more data per disk for your back-ups. The new Blu-Ray drives are also available, but at an exorbitant price typically over $1,000.00. Your typical DVD burner will run you well under $100. Keep an eye out for media compatibility, availability, and burn speed. Go with the fastest drive that fits in your budget and you will be happy. A DVD drive is recommended over a simple CD drive as more games and software are shipping on DVD media.

Floppy Drive
The floppy drive is the first of the optional components of your computer system. As DVD drives take over, many newer computers from the big manufacturers such as Dell and HP no longer ship with floppy drives. With files getting ever bigger, the floppy drive just doesn’t have enough capacity any more.

However, if you go without a floppy drive, keep in mind that you may find yourself at some point needing one to load a driver if you plan to use an older operating system like Windows 98 or 98 SE. Depending on your motherboard, you might need a floppy drive to easily install drivers for your SATA RAID or drives during the Windows install at the F6 prompt. We will cover this in more detail in a later installment of this series. If you are not sure you will need a floppy drive, just pick one up to be safe. Floppy drives are readily available for under $20.00, and Geeks.com still carries a fairly good selection of floppy drives.

If you’ve used any sort of wireless device — telephone, laptop, PDA, or even a simple remote control — you know how convenient it can be. You’re not tethered to … well, to anything. And you’re free to move around while doing your work.

One area that’s ripe for wireless is a home or office sound system. Once a dream, it’s now relatively cheap and easy to set up such a system. Imagine being able to listen to your digital music without wires – you’ve probably got most of the components already. For a couple of hundred dollars or less, you can have a great wireless sound system.

Why Go Wireless?

Obviously, the main advantage to going wireless is to cut down on all of those pesky cables that have been the bane of audiophiles for decades. With wireless, you can place your speakers just about anywhere in your home without being limited to the length of wire that connects back to your audio system.

If you’re like many people these days, you’ve probably got more music in a digital format like MP3 than you have on CD. Maybe you’ve ripped your CDs and/or downloaded music from the iTunes Store or other popular online music vendors. It’s easier to play these files directly from your computer instead of burning them on to a CD and having to fumble with those disks.

And let’s face it: no matter how good your PC speakers are, they’re no match for a decent set of stereo speakers. Piping your music to speakers, even those in another room, will only enhance your listening pleasure.

How It Works

A wireless sound system works sort of like radio. A transmitter is connected to a device — usually a computer — that stores and plays your music.  A receiver, plugged into a stereo or a set of speakers, picks up the signal from the transmitter. There are two ways in which signals can be sent from the transmitter — analog and digital.

Analog is similar to FM (Frequency Modulation) radio. The signal is strong and constant, but the frequency of the signal changes slightly based on the information being sent. If you still listen to terrestrial (as opposed to satellite) radio, you’re probably familiar with FM.  The quality of the signal is good and signal strength is decent, though it can be affected by barriers (like walls) in the way of the signal.

Digital, on the other hand, converts sounds to packets of electronic data. In the case of a wireless audio system, this data is sent over the air from a transmitter and the data is converted back to audio when it reaches the receiver. It’s really the same principle as a wireless Internet connection.

Wireless devices, like the ones described in this Tech Tip, operate over a specific range of frequencies — usually between 900 MHz to 2.4 GHz. This range of frequencies is used by most consumer wireless devices. That means a consistent level of signal quality, but it can also lead to interference from other devices. Luckily, the hardware used in setting up a wireless sound system enables you to select different frequencies to avoid or at least minimize interference.

Ways to Go Wireless

There are a couple of ways you can go wireless. If you’re an iPod user, you can turn your gadget into a music transmitter using the Wireless Music System for iPod by Logitech. This device clips to your iPod, turning it into a transmitter. You connect a small base station to your stereo or a set of powered speakers and you can use the iPod’s controls you can shuffle through songs or play your favorite play lists.

You can also get FM transmitters for certain makes of MP3 player. The transmitter — like iriver AFT-100 or the Belkin TuneCast II — plugs into your MP3 player and literally sends the music on the device to an FM receiver. That receiver could be a stereo or even a car radio. Essentially the transmitter turns your MP3 player into a short-range radio station. The range of these devices is limited – about ten to 30 feet. But over those distances, the signal is clear and has little or no interference.

Or, you can use a desktop computer (which is often called a media server) to store and broadcast your audio. You don’t need an up-to-date, lightning fast system with the latest version of your operating system (although that does help), either. An older computer running Windows XP and with a decent amount of memory and a fair sized hard drive is usually more than enough. I know at least two people who turned old eMachines desktops with 512 MB of memory and 80 GB hard disks into serviceable media servers. Using a software media player — like Windows Media Player, iTunes, RealPlayer, or WinAmp — you can create play lists or play all of your audio in bulk.

A popular way to turn a PC into a sound system is the Logitech Wireless Music System. This device consists of two parts. The first is a small transmitter that you plug into a USB port on your computer. The second is a receiver that you connect to your stereo or a set of wireless speakers. Then, just fire up the media player on your computer and you’re ready to go.

The Linksys Wireless Media Center Extender not only does audio, but also video and Internet radio. The Extender looks like a DVD player with a small antenna at the back. You connect the Extender directly to your TV or stereo, and then install the software that interacts with the Extender on your PC. To use the Media Center Extender, your PC needs to be running Windows XP Media Center Edition and you’ll need to have a wireless network up and running.

Apple has always had an edge over PCs in multimedia. If you have a recent Mac and a high-speed Internet connection, you can turn that Mac into a media server using an AirPort wireless base station. Just plug the AirPort base station into your stereo or your speakers, and let your Mac and the iTunes software do the rest. According to Apple, iTunes will automatically detect the base station and you can start playing your tunes immediately. However, at $99, the AirPort base station isn’t cheap, especially if you want to have your audio piped to multiple locations in your home.

Speakers

Getting good sound from a wireless system – or any audio system for that matter – is partly a matter of having a good audio source to work with and mainly a matter of having a decent set of speakers.
The great thing about a wireless sound system is that you don’t necessarily need to buy a new set of speakers. If you have a stereo, then you can use the speakers that you already have. If course, if you can afford it, a new set of speakers can’t hurt. The only problem with using stereo speakers is that you’re still restricted by the speaker cables. Your sound source can be anywhere, but the position of the speakers is limited to the length of cable connecting them to your stereo.

Wireless speakers, on the other hand, can free you of that limitation. You can (within reason) position the speakers anywhere you want in your house or even outside. Most are light enough that you can position them anywhere. With most wireless speakers, however, will need to be positioned near an electrical socket — this will limit where you can position your speakers. There are battery-powered wireless speakers, but most of them only hold a charge for about four hours. As the batteries run down, so will the quality of the audio that’s coming out of them.

You can expect to pay several hundred dollars for a decent set of wireless speakers. Models from Panasonic, for example, can cost anywhere from $200 to $1,700 dollars. Ones from Acoustic Research or JBL will cost quite a bit more. But, as with anything else, you get what you pay for. The quality of the sound will be better with a slightly higher-end set of speakers. That said, you should really only buy what you can afford and if you can afford it.
You can usually find some pretty good bargains on eBay or at online retailers –  Geeks.com, for example.

Of course, how you position your speakers in a room is almost as important as choosing the right speakers. How you position your speakers will depend on the size of the room and its layout. You can find some good advice on this topic here and here.

A Few Caveats

Remember that a wireless sound system has a limited range — from around 30 feet to 100 feet, maybe a bit more. This isn’t a problem in the average home, but if you want to play music outside then you might experience a drop in the quality of the sound.

Speaking of putting your speakers outside, while it may seem like a good idea to have your favorite bit of music playing during a BBQ or garden party, remember that many speakers aren’t meant for use outdoors. They could get damaged by the weather or careless guests. If you’re using battery-powered speakers, remember that the life of the batteries is limited — probably (hopefully!) shorter than the duration of your party.

On top of that, the sound that is sent to speakers might not arrive at the same moment, depending on how far the from your media center the speakers are set. In most cases, you might not notice any problems with the sound. Sometimes, though, you will definitely notice a small lag. If that happens, then you’ll have to experiment with the placement of your speakers.

As mentioned earlier, most wireless devices operate in a similar range of frequencies. Some wireless speakers work in the range of 900 MHz. That’s the frequency range used by many common household wireless devices like cordless telephones or baby monitors. You might encounter some interference from such devices in your home or even those used by a neighbor (depending on how close your nearest neighbor lives to you). ]]> http://blog.rdptechs.net/2008/06/07/tips-for-setting-up-a-home-wireless-network-2/feed/ http://blog.rdptechs.net/2008/06/07/tips-for-setting-up-a-home-wireless-network/ http://blog.rdptechs.net/2008/06/07/tips-for-setting-up-a-home-wireless-network/#comments Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:23:16 +0000 admin http://blog.rdptechs.net/2008/06/07/tips-for-setting-up-a-home-wireless-network/ After the decision has been made to invest in a wireless (WiFi) network, it’s time to run through a few vital issues specific to maximizing productivity. Before madly buying and trying to configure, here are some tips – some obvious, some not.

The three products needed are a WAP (Wireless Access Point), a router, and a wireless-enabled computer. WAPs are typically combined into one unit with routers, usually referred to as “wireless routers” because they have wireless capability. Virtually every new laptop has built-in wireless capability, and legacy laptops can accept wireless PCMCIA cards. PCI cards or USB wireless adapters can be installed on most desktop computers.

It is important to note that because the network is connected to the Internet, the router has to be hard-wired to the Internet connection via either the DSL modem or cable modem. If Internet service activation in your area includes the installation of a dedicated wall jack for the modem, have the jack placed in a centralized location to maximize coverage area.

Take note that the operating range of WiFi networks can vary, from 300 feet to as far as 11 miles (unobstructed), and is subject to at least a dozen variables. Certain things can weaken the signal – large appliances (SubZero refrigerators are notorious culprits), chimneys, older homes with plaster walls, and of course long distances between the router and the computer. Solutions to weak signal blues are discussed further on in this article.

Once a location has been chosen for the router, it’s time to configure it. Though most of the default settings don’t need to be changed, there are some that definitely should be. Within the controls of the router (usually accessed using any browser software), there are options that should be taken advantage of:

• First off, change the default password for access to the router so others cannot gain access to your router.
• Give the network a name and don’t make it too personal. Remember, other people are going to see it even if they can’t access it.
• Enable the option that makes the router a DHCP server and then be sure to configure each device’s network settings to “use DHCP.”
• Last but not least, enable wireless security, preferably WPA (Wireless Protected Access), if your router supports it, and create a password that is not too obvious. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) can be used if WPA is not available however WEP can be easily hacked therefore WPA is the preferred security method for the home wireless network.

A Few More Important Tips

• Most printers aren’t wireless, and those that are can be tough to configure. Best to skip the wireless printer and hard-wire one to the router or to one of the networked computers, then enable its ability to share the printer.
• If a laptop hasn’t been shut down since being connected to a different WiFi network, Internet-mandatory processes (browsing, email) may not work. Reboot, and confirm that the proper network is being accessed. Power outages and other random problems occasionally disable wireless networks. A quick and dirty fix is to power down the computer, router, and broadband modem. Then, power them up in this order: modem, router, computer (waiting 45 seconds apart between each step.)
• Make sure the right network is being accessed, and not a neighbor’s. A neighbor’s connection may allow access to the Internet for e-mail and surfing, but other activity such as printing and file sharing will not be allowed.
• Even if every computer on the network is wireless, keep an Ethernet cable handy in the event that the router needs to be reconfigured and you are unable to connect wirelessly.
• Password protecting the network is mentioned again because it is not an option. There are people who hack into networks and access personal data on computers, or use the internet connection for criminal means (such as sending spam e-mail.)

Weak Signal Blues

OK, so now the network works, but it is in a REALLY big house, and the wireless signal just isn’t robust enough to get to the back room on the third floor. It cuts in and out, and inhibits productivity. The 2.4 GHz radio band is extremely crowded these days with cordless phones, RF remotes, microwaves and other appliances that can cause interference with a WiFi signal. Now what?

One solution is to buy a range-extending antenna for the computer’s WiFi card or router, or a wireless range extender. A few of these strategically located in a large house can dramatically extend range and increase signal strength to remote corners of the house. Be forewarned though - the more complex a network is, the more it costs to install, and the tougher it is to troubleshoot problems.

Frequenty Asked Questions

• What is 802.11 and what do the “a”, “b”, “g” and “n” mean?

Wireless modulation technology and standards have evolved over time. Beginning with 802.11(legacy) to 802.11n (still not ratified at the time of this writing), they operate in the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies. The only difference that the home user really needs to know is that “n” is (or will be) the fastest, “g” is next fastest, then “a” (typically not used by consumers), then “b”. Not sure which protocol applies? Buy a router that allows a “mixed” network commonly 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g.

• Does it matter what brand of router is used?

All wireless routers work on the same principles, no matter what brand they are. Some probably work better in certain situations than others do, but none of this information is brand-specific, with the exception of Apple’s Airport routers. Apple’s routers are not configurable using a web browser because they use proprietary setup software that will only run on Apple machines. If you are going to use an Apple router, you will need to configure it with the Airport Apple software on an Apple computer and then add any non-Apple devices to it after. Some popular router companies include D-Link, Netgear and Linksys. These companies (as well as others) also offer faster and better connections within the 802.11g band, however you usually need to buy a matched set of products. For example, a D-Link Wireless Router with Enhanced Wireless G and a D-Link Enhanced Wireless G card on the PC or notebook would be required to get the enhanced benefits of speed and/or range. Mixing and matching is generally ok with no problems to still get the best default setting between computer and router.

• Can a computer or printer be hard-wired to the network?

Yes, computers and printers can be wired to a WiFi network. Don’t be shy about connecting computers, printers, or even storage directly to the wireless router (most typically have four hardwired ports.) Sometimes, it’s easier and makes more sense.

In Conclusion

Even though signal and security issues need to be addressed, setting up a WiFi network at home can solve a multitude of problems. But, what can be done when traveling? Part three of this series will take a closer look at accessing the Internet away from home.

Picture Messaging

A common way that people transfer photos from their cell phones to their computers (that doesn’t really have any additional cost from your regular monthly bill) is picture messaging. It works pretty much the same as text messaging; you just have to have text messaging enabled on your cell phone. If you don’t, this method will not work.

Note: Expect this method to be a little different for various phone models, but the following directions are pretty basic and similar for all phones.

If you would like to send a picture to another person’s cell phone or if you want to e-mail a picture to a friend or even to yourself, you just need to open your phone and go to the Menu. Find your phone’s Media Gallery and then choose Pictures. At this point, you can pick the photo you’d like to send. Once you have it chosen, go to Options and choose Send in Message (like you’re sending a text message). This is where you choose to send it to one of the Contacts listed in your phone or if you want to e-mail it to someone or yourself. Pick the person you’re sending it to and push the OK button and then Send.

You can also send text with the picture if you want to do that. If you end up e-mailing the picture to someone, you will just have to type in their e-mail address and they will get it in their Inbox. You just need to make sure the person you’re sending the picture to has picture capabilities too.

Data Cable

Another way you can transfer photos to other people is to put them directly onto your computer, so you can e-mail them to your friends or save them to a disk or a CD. So, to do that, you have to have some sort of a USB data connection kit, which comes with the cable cord that plugs your phone into your computer’s USB port and the software that will help you in transferring the pictures from your phone. You usually have to purchase these kits separate from your phone. The store where you buy your phone should have them available and they will be able to tell you which one will work with your type of phone.

Once you have your phone and computer connected, you can start transferring the pictures. Again, keep in mind that these kits are phone specific, so you need to make sure that you get one that will be compatible with your phone model.

Bluetooth

Another way to handle the pictures on your cell phone that is becoming more popular every day is a wireless technology called Bluetooth. Bluetooth works with short-range wireless technologies that allow you to easily send photos from your phone to a laptop or desktop computer. The computer you are sending them to just has to be equipped to accept the pictures.

The most difficult (but it can sometimes be fairly easy) part about Bluetooth is matching the phone to the computer, so they are both compatible with each other. But, once that it is done, sending the images couldn’t be easier.

As long as your phone has the Bluetooth software on it, you can send the images without any extra charges billed to you. You can also send photos to other Bluetooth users’ phones without any wires or additional charges. This seems to be the most versatile way to go if you’re looking to maybe spend a little more money up front for the Bluetooth works, but it will save you money in the long run when you don’t have to pay any extra charges when sending your pictures back and forth.

E-mail

Another way for you to send pictures between your friends and family is to e-mail them. Your cell phone has to have e-mail capabilities for this to work, but a lot of the phones these days come with that ability. You can e-mail them to other people or, as mentioned above, to yourself. You just have to type the e-mail address in the To: field just like you would if you were using Outlook Express and it will be sent.

If you see something while you’re out and about that you just have to take a picture of, you can snap the photo on your phone, send yourself a quick e-mail and when you get home, the picture will be on your computer waiting for you. You can then send it off to other people or do something like set it as your desktop wallpaper.

Removable Memory Cards

Another new technology that is presenting itself with camera phones is an external memory card for your phone. The phone just comes with a slot for the card and you can transfer the shots to your computer in a snap. You will need to purchase an external memory card reader so it will all work, but it’s one of the easiest ways to go if you takes several pictures with your cell phone.

When you have the card reader installed, you just remove the memory card from your phone, insert it into the reader and your computer will recognize it as another drive. You can then drag and drop the photos wherever you want them to go, e-mail them to others, etc. The options are pretty endless with this choice. You can then get rid of the existing pictures on your phone (since they’re on your computer and not lost) and go out and take more. It’s that easy!

Just one more reminder: all of these applications work differently with different phones, so make sure you refer to your phone’s manual before doing anything you’re not sure of. But, all in all, this is all really cool when you think about it. Who would have thought we could do so much with a little phone? Technology is just out of this world!

The time may come that you’ll need to reinstall your Windows XP. It could happen. Maybe you’ll add a new motherboard or hard drive. Maybe you’ll get constant errors and problems that just won’t go away. Or perhaps you’re a neat freak who wants to rid yourself of clutter and start fresh with a clean operating system. If you do reinstall Windows XP, then you’ll need to re-activate it too—that is, unless you keep this tip handy

See, the first time you activated XP it created a file called “wpa.dbl” that lives in the WINDOWS\system32 folder. By creating a backup of this file on disk, you can simply put it back into the folder after reinstalling XP and avoid the whole re-activation hassle. Here’s how…

Go to My Computer then select your Hard Drive (usually drive C). Go to the WINDOWS\system32 folder and scroll way down until you find the wpa.dbl file.

Right-click and choose “Send To” then either Floppy Drive (make sure you have a disk in) or CD-R/RW.

Now, when you reinstall Windows XP you’ll come to the activation screen—decline to activate and let the install finish.

Restart your computer in Safe Mode (keep hitting F8 at start-up then when the Advanced Boot Options menu appears arrow down to Safe Mode).

Find your way back to the WINDOWS\system32 folder. It’s a good idea to rename the wpa.dbl file you’re replacing just in case you run into problems, so call it something like “wpa.nothing”.

Get the backup disk and copy the old wpa.dbl file back to the WINDOWS\system32 folder and reboot.

There you go—XP is up and running again.

P.S. Your wpa.dbl file might NOT work on another computer.

#1 If you have a log in password for your account, this can be used to protect folders from other users. Your hard drive must be formatted using NTFS (which it probably is unless you’re dual booting with another operating system). Here’s what to do…

Right-click the folder that you want to make private and choose “Properties” (or Alt+Double-click). Go to the “Sharing” tab and check the “Make this folder private” box.

Click Apply . If you do not have a password on your account, a box will pop up asking if you want to assign a password. This must be done if you want to make the folder private, so click Yes . You will need to use your password to log on to your computer from then on.

Type in a password then confirm it. Click the “Create Password” button then close the Password window.

Click OK in the Properties dialog box.

Now anyone else logged on to your computer can’t access that file without knowing your password.

#2 If the Folder is Zipped you can give it a unique password.

Just double-click the zipped folder. In the top menu select File then click “Add a Password”.

Type a password into the Password box. Then again in the “Confirm Password” box.

Now, you are the only person who can access files in this folder. The folder can be opened allowing the files to be seen, but you are the only one who can access them.

Don’t you feel more secure now?